


Of Laughter and Other Monsters

by FerretShark



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, Bruce Banner Needs a Hug, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Peter Parker is a Mess, Science Bros, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark and Peter Parker are human disasters, silliness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 20:41:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21664984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FerretShark/pseuds/FerretShark
Summary: I read a comic book synopsis about Spider-Man telling a joke so funny that the Hulk had to turn back into Bruce Banner to laugh so I started to think other other ways to work with that idea... and use Iron Dad :D Because I gotta.Thank you so much to friendlyneighborhoodsecretary for reading this in it's first, very rough state and giving me feedback about if it even worked.As always that you to Grace_d (reachingforaspark) for the tremendously helpful edits and comments!!! I probably wouldn't be writing at all without your encouragement. Thank you!Thank you to frostysunflowers, forensicleaf and blondsak for helping validate my title choice!You might recognize some of these scenarios as floating around reddit and tumblr. I started trying to research funny lab accidents. Yeah,not really a thing. Lab accidents are usually very much not good so I worked with things that were funny to me and adapted them.PS.In my head, Cap doesn’t even bother to try to separate Peter and Tony. He knows it’s a lost cause and they wouldn’t listen to him anyway. He does, however, move them across from Sam. And poor Bruce has to sit in the back with Bucky or Vision.
Relationships: Bruce Banner & Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 18
Kudos: 165





	Of Laughter and Other Monsters

Of Laughter and Other Monsters

  
“And I said ‘no, Flash, not that one,’ but…” Peter pauses for breath.

Tony stretches out his armor-clad legs beside the kid. “Let me guess, he did it anyway.” 

“He did. It. Anyway,” Peter groans. “It was so bad Mr. Stark. Dry ice into the water, lid on the beaker.” Peter demonstrates “And he made eye contact the whole time.”

“Wearing safety glasses, hopefully.”

“Oh yeah, we have to. So I guess it could have been so much worse. But why couldn’t he just listen to me? Do I just have one of those faces that no one listens to?” Peter pauses for a breath and Tony smirks. “Don’t answer that.”

“So ‘Flash’ blew himself up?” Tony chuckles, then shakes his head. “How poetic. That kid still giving you trouble though?”

Peter shrugs. His non- answer an answer in itself.

“Not surprising really,” Tony muses. “I’ve met his dad, did I tell you? He’s a real piece of work.”

“I’ve heard that and it kind of makes me feel bad, but also, come on!” Pete throws his hands up.

Bruce leans back and closes his eyes, listening to them was almost relaxing.

Ironman could easily have flown himself to the agreed on location. But Bruce knew that Peter’s senior year schedule had been so hectic that Tony was trying to soak up every second. He heard the man start speaking again in an easy tone. Bruce’s eyes slide back open tiredly to find Tony gesturing to the kid.

“Well, those kinds of things can happen. Always double check. I’ve been known to blow up a lab or two in my day.”

Peter makes a sound of faked surprise.

Tony grins, “Laugh it up. One night you’re up late party-er studying, the next minute you’re dropping a steel pin into a transformer.” 

“Lucky, I’m majoring in chemistry and physics then.” Peter makes finger guns.

“Says the kid that’s glued himself to at least three surfaces in my lab and, yes, I also know about the fire.”

There’s a stare down, then Peter shrugs. “Well you know what they say, If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the precipitate.”

Bruce snorts, because of where he’s sitting, he can’t help but overhear. There’s not much else to do anyway. Cap had already laid out the mission in detail earlier at the briefing. They fly in. Stealth, Hulk goes in… Bruce sighs. He’s happy for the distraction the other two provide.

“Did you include a list of all your notable lab accidents with your college applications?” Tony teases.”They should know what they’re getting into.”

“Would sorta defeat the ‘whole having a secret identity’ thing.” Peter smirks , “Actually the recommendation letter from you should be my biggest red flag,” he says thoughtfully.

Tony bumps his shoulder. 

“10 minutes until we’re in position.” Cap’s voice comes over the intercom.

Peter fidgets with the edges of his mask, then leans back against the side of the jet. Bruce knows he won’t be quiet for long and he smiles to himself when he’s proven right. 

“So there was a kid in my class that for some reason thought that maybe if you ate something spicy and something that stimulated the cold receptors in your mouth, at the same time, they would cancel each other out.”

“No. Tell me they did not…” Tony’s eyebrows go up.

“A ghost pepper and an altoid mint. Fun fact, BOTH can be activated at the same time. RIP” Peter blows out a sympathetic breath.

“Oh no, no, no” Tony shakes his head, the laugh lines at the corner of his eyes crinkling.

“Yes.” Peter says gravely with a nod.

“Really? At your fancypants, smart kid school?” Tony muses. “Don’t they have tests to weed out that sort of thing?”

Peter’s expression veers into offended for just a second too long before scrambling back to neutral.

Tony’s eyes widened comically in the dim lighting as the other shoe dropped. He whispers, “It was you.” Followed by a delighted gasp and a pointing finger. “It was you!”

They both crack at the same time, laughing like maniacs. Then Peter’s trying to shush Tony who is laughing so hard there are tears in his eyes.

Bruce can’t help his own sympathetic chuckles and that catches Tony and Peter’s attention. The kid makes lip zipping motion at him in an attempt to swear him to secrecy. Tony wheezes as he tries to calm himself.

“Oh god, Is there video? I  _ know _ there’s a video. I’m calling Ned as soon as we get back.”

“No!” Peter exclaimed, waving his hands, “Jeez, Mr. Stark. There is no video!”

Tony gives him a measuring look as he wipes at his eyes. , “And I let you run around in a multi-million dollar suit.”

“I can’t be blamed for your poor choices.” Peter sasses as he slips the mask over his head. “Besides you act like I don’t know why you call Colonel Rhodes, ‘playtp-“

Tony sobers, cutting him off “Hey now, that zoo signed a full non disclosure.”

“Do you...have any idea how bad that sounds?” The eyes of the suit narrow in judgement.

There’s a high pitched sound and Tony doubles over again. 

Bruce leans forward confused and curious, “What happened to the platypus?”

Tony grins, “Nothing! No Platypus-es? were harmed, we just..borrowed him for a bit”

“Platypodes are venomous, did you know?” Spider-Man points at Bruce. “Ask Colonel Rhodes about that.”

Cap’s voice comes over the coms, “ETA 5 minutes. Bruce, be ready.”

“‘Platypodes’, “ Tony parrots. “What do you think, Bruce? Science Bro Jr.?” He throws his arm around Peter’s shoulders.

“You two aren’t science bros, you’re disaster bros!” Bruce exclaims, exasperated. This sets them all off, and god does it feel good to laugh.

“All set?” Captain America strides into their space, frowning a bit as they continue to giggle.“We’re ready.”

Bruce tries, he really does. He reaches deep, trying to channel his rage but every time it starts to bubble up to the surface, it collides with images of Peter Parker desperately but futilely chugging water and Tony with Rhodes scurrying through the Boston streets with a liberated zoo animal. And he just can’t.

He sputters out mid transformation, a broken chuckle escaping from his chest.

Steve frowns and touches his ear piece.

“Romanov, we have a problem.”

Nat appears in the back within seconds. Scanning them all, she quickly taking stock of the issue. She kneels in front of Bruce, looking him steadily in the eyes.

“Ok, we have a situation on the ground that needs the Big Guy. I really need you to focus.”

He tries, oh boy does he try. His skin goes green, he can feel his chest erupt but the roar fades off into snort of laughter. 

“I’m sorry, I can’t. I’m trying but I can’t” his features twist as he attempts to give himself up to the anger, but it’s no use.

“Platypus!” He gasps between chuckles as a way of explaining.

Captain America is silently glaring at the Parker-Stark comedy duo.

Tony is an inappropriate laugh-er at the best of times and with no one to try to reign him in, he can’t stop the snickers. Peter seems better versed in placating irate authority figures. He slouches low in his seat and folds his arms across his chest, eyes of the mask half shut. He looks both penitent and thoughtful. Bruce knows it’s just an act and that Parker is probably grinning under there. The thought brings on another wave of laughter.

“Sorry, Steve, we’re gonna need a new plan.” Natasha looks up and sighs.

Steve’s lips thin with displeasure. 

“Fine, new plan.” He inclines his head. “But we’re not doing this again.”

And that’s how they got assigned seating on the quinjet.   
  
End

**Author's Note:**

> I read a comic book synopsis about Spider-Man telling a joke so funny that the Hulk had to turn back into Bruce Banner to laugh so I started to think other other ways to work with that idea... and use Iron Dad :D Because I gotta.  
> Thank you so much to friendlyneighborhoodsecretary for reading this in it's first, very rough state and giving me feedback about if it even worked.  
> As always that you to Grace_d (reachingforaspark) for the tremendously helpful edits and comments!!! I probably wouldn't be writing at all without your encouragement. Thank you!  
> Thank you to frostysunflowers, forensicleaf and blondsak for helping validate my title choice!
> 
> You might recognize some of these scenarios as floating around reddit and tumblr. I started trying to research funny lab accidents. Yeah,not really a thing. Lab accidents are usually very much not good so I worked with things that were funny to me and adapted them.
> 
> PS.In my head, Cap doesn’t even bother to try to separate Peter and Tony. He knows it’s a lost cause and they wouldn’t listen to him anyway. He does, however, move them across from Sam. And poor Bruce has to sit in the back with Bucky or Vision.


End file.
